Brandi L.

Logan

HLTH 1020

Nutrition Perspectives

In the documentary film Super Size Me, written and directed by Morgan Spurlock, we

follow Spurlock through a 30-day experiment exploring the effects of fast food on his personal

health and well-being. (Spurlock, Super Size Me, 2004) The documentary contains many

excerpts from interviews showcasing a broad range of perspectives on the topic of fast food and

the industry that pushes it. Those interviewed ranged from everyday Americans on the street to a

former United States Surgeon General. The film delves into such topics as the effects of the fast

food industry on American society and our children, the aspect of addiction as it relates to the

types of foods one would normally consume at a fast food establishment, and of course, the

devastating effects that fast food can have on our bodies and our overall health.

Morgan Spurlock is an award-winning and Academy Award-nominated writer, director

and producer. (Spurlock, About, 2016) He does not have a background in nutrition. For the

documentary, he enlists a team of healthcare professionals including a general practitioner, a

gastroenterologist, a cardiologist, a registered dietician and a personal trainer to advise him and

closely monitor his health throughout his experiment.

I chose this documentary because I feel very strongly that the fast food industry as a

whole is detrimental to our society, especially to our children and contributes to the decline of

our nations overall health. I feel that the majority of fast food is unhealthy, cheaply made,
chemical laden and heavily processed. I would go so far as to say that some of it is not even

worthy of being called food.

As a result of my personal quest to lose weight, I have researched nutritional information

from many fast food restaurants, and have found that the levels of sodium, saturated and trans

fats, and added sugars contained in many of the most widely consumed food items from these

establishments are truly appalling. For example, on more than one occasion Mr. Spurlock

consumed a Supersize (42 oz. or 1.25 liter) Coke, and according to nutrition information found

on a Coca-Cola Company website, he was consuming three and a half 12 oz. servings (the

equivalent of 3.5 cans) each containing 39g of sugar. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2017) I did

some simple math and found that this translates to 136.5g or about 2/3 of a cup of sugar in his

beverage alone! According to the textbook, Contemporary Nutrition: A Functional Approach, the

American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars such that the

upper limit of intake for most American women is to no more than 100 calories (25 grams) per

day from added sugars and no more than 150 calories (37.5 grams) per day for most American

men. (Wardlaw, 2015, p. 143)

At the outset, Mr. Spurlocks team of health professionals deem him to be of above-

average physical fitness for his age range, and his blood work, blood pressure, and physical exam

are all within normal limits. He is 62 tall, 185.5 pounds with a BMI in the normal range and a

body fat percentage of 11%.

The test subject sets some guidelines for himself to follow to maintain consistency over

the course of the 30 days. The rules include that all meals must consist only of food purchased

from McDonald's, meaning if McDonald's does not sell it he cannot eat or drink it. He must eat

at least three meals a day from McDonald's, he must eat all menu items at least once, and he will
only Supersize if asked by the employee. In the film, Mark Fenton, former editor of Walking

magazine, advises him that to be consistent with the majority of Americans, he must not get more

than 5,000 steps per day. These steps must be obtained through activities like walking out to

catch a cab, going up and down the stairs in his apartment building, or walking to McDonald's.

In other words, no intentional exercise.

The documentary states that according to the CDC, the number of overweight and obese

individuals in America doubled between 1980 and 2001 and that nearly 100 million Americans at

that time were overweight or obese. Since the documentary in 2004, the rates of overweight and

obese Americans have continued to climb. According to the textbook, 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of

children are overweight or obese and it goes on to say that obesity kills more than 200,000

American a year. (Wardlaw, 2015, p. 20)

So, where are we going wrong? In my opinion, a huge part of the issue is that the

availability and convenience of the unhealthier options far surpass the availability of a quick,

healthy bite to eat. I believe that the addition of super low-priced menus that have been

instituted by most fast food establishments only serves to exacerbate and facilitate the growing

issue. I feel that it also exploits the poor and further endangers those already at risk of having an

unfavorable nutritional status, namely the children of low-income families.

On day one, Morgan Spurlock is excited to eat McDonalds food and seems to really

enjoy it. Day two he orders a double Quarter Pounder with cheese meal and is asked if he wants

to Supersize it. He again appears happy and excited to be eating the fast food. Five minutes into

his meal, he mentions the volume of food contained in the Supersize meal. Ten minutes in, he

complains of a having stomach ache, gas, the McSweats and of feeling jittery. Fifteen minutes

later he looks absolutely miserable, and twenty-two minutes later he vomits.

 There are many health-related risks associated with regularly eating foods containing

high levels of saturated and trans fats and sugars and the overweight or obese body conditions

that usually accompany such eating behaviors. One of these risks is type 2 diabetes. The

documentary projected that 1 in 3 children born in 2000 would develop type 2 diabetes in their

lifetime. I was unable to locate statistics in the textbook, but it does say that the overall number

of adults with diabetes is on the rise and that there has been a substantial increase in type 2

diabetes in children and in both cases the increase in those developing type 2 diabetes is

attributed to excess weight and lack of physical activity. (Wardlaw, 2015, p. 149)

After logging just under one week on his new eating plan, Morgan Spurlock heads off to

visit his team of healthcare providers to find out what effect, if any, his experiment has had on

his health. He and the dietician are shocked at the revelation of a body weight of 195 pounds

which translated into an astonishing gain of 5% of his body weight in less than seven days.

On day nine of Mr. Spurlocks endeavor, he begins to feel depressed and again complains

of not feeling well. However, this time his mood drastically improves after ingesting the cheesy,

fatty, sugary, caffeinated foods and drink which would appear to indicate his bodys growing

dependence on the substances found in the McDonalds food.

Watching Morgan Spurlocks experiment unfold only served to reiterate the idea and

solidify my view that, for the most part, fast food is something best avoided. What was truly

unexpected was the time frame in which his health was negatively affected. In only nineteen

days, his blood work values had changed drastically, and his mood and overall wellness had

declined to the point that it prompted the healthcare team to advise him to discontinue his

experiment.
 Mr. Spurlock did not heed this warning, and as a result, by the 30-day mark, he had gone

from 185.5 to 210 pounds for a total gain of 24.5 pounds. His body fat percentage had increased

from 11% to 18%, and his cholesterol levels went up by 65 points. He was depressed, did not

feel well overall and had exceptionally high liver values as well as other metabolic disturbances.

By the end of the experiment, the formerly healthy man was referred to by the doctors as sick.

Although the documentary was made in 2004, some thirteen years ago, I feel that the

themes still apply today and essentially, always will. The documentary took eating fast food to

the extreme. However, I do not think that the value of the information contained in the

documentary should be discounted. I watched this documentary for the first time in response to

this assignment, and it definitely had an impact on me. I will continue to steer clear of fast food

whenever possible, and no matter what I am eating I will work to be mindful of portion sizes. I

cannot envision a time where consuming over three and a half times the recommended daily

amount of sugar in one beverage would ever be a good idea. While it is true that with new

knowledge comes the evolution of nutritional recommendations, I do not believe that it is very

likely that, at any point in time, a double cheeseburger, pound of fries and 42 oz. soda will be

the answer to achieving optimal health.

References
Spurlock, M. (Director). (2004). Super Size Me [Motion Picture].
Spurlock, M. (2016). About. Retrieved April 2017, from Morgan Spurlock:
www.morganspurlock.com
The Coca-Cola Company. (2017). Coca-Cola Product Facts. Retrieved April 2017, from Coca-
Cola Product Facts: http://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/coca-cola-products/coca-
cola/
Wardlaw, G. M. (2015). Foundations of Nutrition (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education LLC.